Protecting Henry
by AdmHawthorne
Summary: Henry's first encounter with Disney's version of Regina, and how he handles it. Sappy little family piece with just Henry and Regina being son and mother.


**Second half set after the second curse is broken but before Emma goes and screws everything up again.**

**Characters aren't mine. They belong to ABC, Disney, and other assorted entities of importance. I gain nothing from writing these stories but the fun of doing it. Please don't sue me.**

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"She's going to get me!" Henry plowed into Regina where she sat stirring sugar into her hot water for her tea.

She grunted, grateful to neither have spilled the tea nor let out the string of curses that were on the tip of her lounge for being surprised by her 4 year old son. Gently, she laid a hand on his back as he curled around her leg while she continued to sit on the stool in the kitchen. "Who, my little prince? Hmm?" She started to rub soothing circles, becoming increasingly more concerned with his agitation as the seconds ticked away.

"The Evil Queen," he bemoaned as he snuggled against her, his little hands gripping her slacks as tightly as he could manage. "She got Snow White, and now she's going to get me!"

Regina's breath caught, and she felt the blood drain from her face. Did he know? How could he possibly know? "Henry," she tried to sound assuring but her voice came out much more stilted than she would have liked, "where did you hear about this," she swallowed down the lump in her throat, "Evil Queen?"

He pulled back to look up at her. His little face was splotchy from his efforts not to cry as he took in a big breath to tell her what he'd seen. "On the TV, Mama. She's on there, and she made herself look really ugly, and then she made Snow White eat a poisoned apple, and now Snow White is dead forever, and," his lip started to quiver, "_now she's going to get me_!"

The whirl of emotions which ran through her ranged from terrified to angry beyond reason to absolute loathing. When she'd stepped in to start dinner and make her tea, she'd made certain the television was on something educational. Apparently, it had moved on to some sort of terrible, fictional account of her life, and now her son was terrified of a fictionalized version of his mother.

She took in a deep breath, slid off the stool, and picked her little boy up. "I promise you, Henry," she whispered against his forehead where it rested on her shoulder as he clung to her, "no one will ever hurt you, _especially_ the Evil Queen."

He clung tighter. "Where are we going?"

"To the den so I can see this Evil Queen for myself," she replied in a tone that her former subjects would have recognized as dangerous. Her son, however, recognized it as his mother's protective tone and seemed to feel a little safer with each step she took toward the other room.

"But," Henry's little voice sounded worried, "what if she gets you, too?"

Despite herself, Regina chuckled. "Oh, my little prince, I can assure you she can't hurt me." She stopped walking to pull back and look at him. With a smirk on her lips, she craned her neck to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "She doesn't scare me."

"But," he seemed torn between saying something and not. It took him a few breaths to decide. "Mama?"

"Yes, my sweet little boy, what is it?" She started walking again, the smirk still on her lips. "You can ask me anything, Henry. I promise I won't be mad."

"Okay," came the quiet reply. Clearly, he was thinking. "Mama, is The Evil Queen afraid of you?"

That question threw her for a moment. Of course The Evil Queen wasn't afraid of her. She _was_ The Evil Queen, but that was a lifetime ago. Now she was the mayor and Henry's mother, and, right at this moment, she was playing the white knight for her little prince's need for reassurance.

She stopped once she made it to the den and waited until Henry turned his head to look at the screen. On it, the old hag the queen had turned herself into was being chased. As they watched, lightning struck the outcropping of rocks on which she stood and she tumbled, presumably, to her death.

Henry's mouth gaped open and his eyes grew wide. "Is she dead?" He stared with disbelief at the screen. "Did you make her go away, Mama?"

Had it been anyone else, she would have given a heavy sigh and an eye roll to the question. Instead, she gave the boy in her arms a gentle smile. "No, I'm afraid not. The lightning in the cartoon made her go away."

"But she's gone now?" He turned his head slowly to his mother, eyes still wide. "She can't hurt us?"

In her mind, Regina's answer to that question was she never would hurt Henry, but that wasn't the right answer. She needed to soothe her son's fears without creating more questions for which she didn't want to give answers. "No, Henry, she can't hurt us."

"What if," he frowned deeply, "she comes back?"

"Then I will protect you." She carefully sat them both down on the sofa and switched the television off.

He settled in her lap as he tilted his head in consideration. "You can beat The Evil Queen?"

"Of course I can," she said with a nod. "I'm your mother, and that's what mothers do. We protect our children."

"Mama?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, dear?"

He leaned in toward her to stare closely at her face. "Are you Snow White?"

The retort she wanted to give died in her throat as a ragged cough. She swallowed it all down, responding in a hoarse voice, "Now, why would you as me that?"

"Because." Reaching out with a small hand, he touched her face near her scar, an odd habit he'd always seemed to have. "Because you're prettier than everyone else!"

Despite herself, she snorted though she smiled at him. "Well, thank you, Henry, but I am definitely _not_ Snow White."

"Oh." That reply seemed to give him pause for a moment. "Are you Prince Charming?" His eyes twinkled with curiosity.

She chuckled. "And why would ask me if I was Prince Charming?"

"Because you always protect me, and," he scowled as if trying to remember something, "you like to ride horses." He nodded to himself, proud of his comparison.

"That's true. I _do_ like to ride horses, and I _will _always protect you," she answered with amusement lacing her tone, "but I'm definitely _not_ Prince Charming, either."

"Oh." That reply seemed to make him think even longer about his next question. "Mama?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, Henry?"

He huffed out a frustrated puff of air. "Who are _you_?"

"_I,_" she answered, sobering at the very complicated question her son had asked so simply, "am the mayor, and," she tilted her head to consider him for a moment, "I will _always_ be your mother, Henry, and that's what's most important."

"And I'll always be your Henry," he happily declared as he leaned in to give her a big, sloppy kiss on the cheek.

She laughed, pulling him down to kiss him on the forehead before tickling his sides for a second or two. "Yes," she said, eyes twinkling with happiness, "yes, my little prince, you will always be my Henry."

* * *

"Henry," Regina's voice was soft as she approached her teenaged son, who was sitting quietly in a diner booth. "Is everything okay?" At the incredulous look thrown his direction, she winced. "Well, relatively speaking, of course."

"I guess," he answered sullenly. "I was just thinking about some stuff."

"Is there anything you'd like to talk about? I know a lot has happened in a very short amount of time. Do you," she hesitated, afraid of his answer, "miss New York?"

"No," he answered without thought, shrugging. "I mean, I miss some of my friends, but this is my home. I just…" He let out a heavy sigh. "Mom, can I ask you something?"

She nodded as she slid into the other side of the booth. "You can ask me anything, Henry. I promise I will tell you the truth. I give you my word."

He nodded, more to himself than to her. "Do you think you and Robin will get married?"

Whatever the question she was expecting, that wasn't it. "Oh, I…" She blinked at him, truly at a loss for words. "I don't know. I suppose, if things continue as well as they have, then perhaps… someday. Why do you ask? Do you not like Robin?"

"No, I do. I mean, he's a great guy. Come on," he looked up at her through his bangs, which were far longer than they should have been. Giving her a little grin, he said, "he's _Robin Hood_. Who wouldn't want to have Robin Hood as their step-father?"

Henry's joke didn't put her at ease, though. It was entirely possible that he _didn't_ like Robin for whatever reason, and then what would she do? She'd have to choose, and there was no question on who she would pick, but the thought of making that decision made her feel ill. "Then what's wrong, dear?"

He glanced way, staring out the window as he asked in an almost bitter tone. "Are you going to put Roland in my room?"

"Why would I do that?" She was honestly confused. "That's _your_ room, Henry. It will always be your room."

"Because he's there now, and I'm not, and because he never hated you or called you… called you an evil person." He lowered his eyes and shook his head. "Never mind. It's a stupid question."

"Henry," her voice was full of concern, "are you afraid I'm going to replace you with Roland?" She reached across the table to place a finger under his chin. Though she didn't force him, he looked up at her, and his eyes were a sea of warring emotions. Fear, envy, and sadness battled it out in his deep brown eyes, and, for a moment, all Regina wanted to do was wrap him up in her arms and protect him from the world. "My little prince," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear her, "You are my son, and you are irreplaceable."

He looked at her for a long moment. His eyes held just a touch of water, and his smile was slightly sad. "Mom?" He voice sounded small.

She dropped her hand to the table, placing it over his where it rested between them. "Yes, dear?"

Henry leaned in closer toward her, dropping his voice to a stage whisper. "Are you Snow White?"

She snorted and then laughed. "Now, why would you as me that?"

"Because," he smirked, leaning back in the booth but keeping his hand under his mother's. "you're prettier than everyone else."

She rolled her eyes, though she smiled at him. "Well, thank you, Henry, but I'm definitely _not_ Snow White."

"Oh." His smirk turned into a mischievous grin. "Are you Prince Charming?" His eyes twinkled with his growing mirth.

She chuckled. "And why would ask me if I was Prince Charming?"

"Because you always protect me," he replied in an all too serious voice, the smirk dropping from his face, "and you always find me." He winced at himself as soon as the words were out of his mouth, but he didn't retract them. Instead, he watched her with open uncertainty brewing on his face.

"That's true." She gave the hand in hers a squeeze as she replied to him in an equally serious tone. "I _do_ try to protect you, and," she lowered her voice, glancing around to make certain no one else could hear her, "I _will _always find, and, if you _ever_ tell anyone I said that, I will tickle you until you can't breathe."

He snorted. "So, definitely _not_ Prince Charming, either, then?"

"No, my little prince, I am most definitely _not_ Prince Charming." She gave him a pointed look. "Henry, I mean it about…"

"I know." He brushed her off with a shrug. "Mom?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, Henry?"

He huffed out a faux frustrated puff of air. "Who are _you_?"

"Many things, Henry." She gave his hand a pat before leaning back, letting her hands drop into her lap. "I'm the mayor, the daughter of a miller's daughter, an apprentice to the Dark One, the half-sister of the Wicked Witch, the step-mother of Snow White, The Evil Queen, and," she tilted her head to consider him for a moment, giving him a watery smile, "I will _always_ be your mother, Henry, and _that's_ what's most important."

He nodded, taking in a shaky breath. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. I should have talked to you about Robin and Roland as soon as you remembered everything." She pushed from her place to stand again. "I'm sorry for not doing that sooner."

He followed her, throwing a few bills on the table for the chocolate milkshake he'd been nursing before his mother had come by. "You want to go for a walk through the park?"

She took in a deep breath. "Yes," she said with a nod, "I'd like that."

He grinned at her, offering her his arm. "Cool. There's a really neat looking blue flower I want to show you. Maybe you can tell me what it is?"

She smiled, suddenly feeling better as she wrapped her arm through his and nodding her agreement as they walked out of the diner.

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**I just gave myself so many feels with this story. Oh man...**


End file.
